1. Field of Use
This disclosure is directed to image forming apparatus elements in an imaging forming apparatus that require conductive particles.
2. Background
Conductive carbon black usually has a very narrow percolation threshold range. The common logarithm of an intermediate transfer member surface conductivity (Ω/□) is in the range of 8 to 13. Carbon black is a filler in films, both in transfer members and fusers, so its dispersion uniformity and interaction with polymeric resins have significant impact on the performance of these films. Solvated polymeric film coatings have been used in manufacturing seamless belts. In these coating solutions, conductive carbon black is dispersed in polymeric binder(s) with organic solvent(s). Due to the high solution viscosity required for coating these belts, the in-situ dispersion of carbon black in a polymeric solution is very difficult. Common problems in current coating processes, both for fuser members and intermediate transfer members, include non-uniform carbon black dispersion distributions and variable conductivity.